The new barrel you are ready to break in has already been thoroughly lapped by the barrel maker, to the finish they consider best. We do not subscribe to the repetitive shoot-and-clean methods. Here is what we actually do, and what we recommend.
Step by step
Zero the rifle
Mount your scope, load a few rounds, and shoot about 10 to 15 to get zeroed. Load development starts at shot three for us.
Insert the bore guide
Everything below assumes it stays in until the last step.
Patch the barrel clean
Use whatever solvent you normally reach for. We use Butch’s Bore Shine.
Brush with a bronze brush
Same solvent you patched with. We usually run 15 to 20 strokes.
Patch clean again and inspect
Check the bore at the muzzle end for visible copper. If copper is present, switch to a copper solvent to remove it.
Brush briefly and verify
Only if you used copper solvent. Confirm the copper is gone before moving on.
Dry it out
Patch out the cleaning solvent, then run a patch with a fast-drying solvent such as brake cleaner.
Remove the bore guide, swab the chamber and neck, and finish with one clean, dry patch through the barrel.
Shoot another 15 to 30 rounds, then repeat
When copper is no longer present after brushing, we consider the barrel broken in.
Some barrels will hold small amounts of copper for their entire life. We do not worry about that as long as the barrel is shooting well. Visible copper is not necessarily a problem — excessive buildup is.
How often we clean
In general we clean a barrel once a batch of ammo is used up, which is usually 35 to 50 rounds.
We always clean after a 100 or 200 round steel match.